1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to toy helicopters and other flying toys that have a propeller mounted in the horizontal plane to provide vertical lift. More particularly, the present invention relates to guard configurations that are used to protect the propellers from incidental contact and contact damage.
2. Prior Art Description
Model helicopters have been in existence for over fifty years. In the beginning of this period, model helicopters required powerful gasoline engines and metal rotors in order to achieve lift. This made model helicopters expensive and highly dangerous. The spinning blades could cause serious bodily injury. Likewise, if the model helicopters crashed they nearly always were destroyed and required major repairs to fly again. Accordingly, model helicopters were used primarily by an exclusive group of adult hobbyists.
Over the years, improvements have been made in small electric motors, batteries and plastics to enable lightweight, low cost toy helicopters to be produced for the mass market. Toy helicopters are light enough to take flight with only low power motors. The low power motors ensure that rotors used by the toy helicopters would not cut or otherwise cause harm to a child who might touch the rotors of the toy helicopter when spinning.
Due to the improvements in both cost and safety, toy helicopters have become some of the most popular toys for children between the ages of eight and sixteen.
A problem associated with modern toy helicopters is that the rotors of the helicopters are made of very thin, lightweight plastic. Likewise the gimble joint that joins the vertical lift rotors to the helicopter are also made of lightweight plastic parts. As a consequence, when a toy helicopter crashes, it is not uncommon for the rotors and/or the gimble joint to break. The toy is then unable to fly until it is repaired.
As is often the case, toy helicopters tend to be operated by remote control. As such, a child has the ability to start and stop the rotation of the rotors by pressing various buttons on a remote control handset. If a toy helicopter is lying on its side or is otherwise not upright, the rotors of the toy helicopter will repeatedly strike the ground the moment the rotors are activated by remote control. This accidental activation often causes damage to the rotors and/or the gimble joint supporting the rotors.
The best way to prevent the rotors and/or the gimble joints of a toy helicopter from being damaged is to prevent the rotors from contacting any object at any time the rotors are spinning. This includes during take off, during flight, during controlled landings and during crash landings.
In the prior art, training kits are often sold with toy helicopters. The training kits typically include guards that attach to the base of the helicopter and extend outwardly to a distance further than the helicopter blades. In this manner, if a helicopter is flown too close to a wall or similar vertical obstacle, the guard would act as a bumper and would contact the obstacle before the spinning rotor. In this way, a crash could be avoided. The problem with training kits is obvious. Training kits only prevent accidental contact with an object that approaches the helicopter from the front or side. The training kit does nothing to prevent the helicopter from rising up and striking the ceiling, a lamp or a tree branch. Furthermore, the training kit does nothing to protect the rotors if the toy helicopter crashes into the ground upside down or flipped upon contact with the ground. Likewise, such training kits do not protect a toy helicopter if its rotors are started by remote control when the helicopter is on its side or leaning against another object.
A need therefore exists for a toy helicopter with a guard configuration that prevents the rotors of the helicopter from contacting any obstacles during take off, flight and even crash landings. A need also exists for a toy helicopter with a guard configuration that prevents the rotors from contacting an object should the helicopter not be upright when activated. Lastly, a need exists for a toy helicopter with a guard configuration that does not impede the flight characteristics of the toy helicopter. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.